Louisville football lands 2021 linebacker with impressive tape

Louisville football adds to a strong defensive class.

Eleven days feels like an eternity in terms of distance of time between Louisville football commits in the 2021 class.

Things have been falling perfectly for Scott Satterfield and the Cardinals coaching staff, who are securing one of the more impressive classes in school history.

That all starts with defense, where Louisville has landed 12 out of its 19 commits. Now, the 20th commit of the class becomes the 13th defensive commit.

The newest commitment comes in the form of Georgia linebacker Jaylin Alderman.

The Valdosta native could be the most underrated player that the coaching staff has landed yet. Rated as a three-star by rivals, and unrated by 247Sports, Alderman is a player that the coaching staff has targeted as a potential long-term success story after landing one of the best linebackers in the class, Jaraye Williams.

Check out Jaylen Alderman’s junior year highlights here.

Though Alderman certainly won’t turn heads in a positive way with recruiting rankings, he is a solid pick up for the staff in the same ways that most defensive players in the last two classes have been.

Alderman has prototypical size for an outside linebacker, with plenty of room for growth on his 6’1,” 225-pound frame. He is a shifty linebacker who plays gaps extremely well, and on tape, he demonstrates the ability to contain the edge. He is a textbook tackler who gets his hat on the ball well, and forced multiple fumbles during his junior year.

Lastly, Alderman doesn’t demonstrate outside linebacker type speed like current Cardinals Yassir Abdullah or Rodjay Burns. Still, he is really solid in coverage- Especially in zone scenarios. He stays with his man well in space, and shows the ability to knock down passes and force interceptions.

Alderman does not appear to be a day one starter, but he is far more impressive at first glance than his ratings would indicate.

Perhaps another hidden gem on the horizon for Satterfield and the Louisville football staff.